SILVER SPRING, Md.-Cambodian youth are facing increased danger to their wellbeing as a result of the rapidly changing social norms that have created a marked rise in risky sexual behavior, sexual abuse, prostitution, and sex trafficking, says the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).

To address this growing crisis, ADRA recently launched "Turn Up the Volume: Youth Advocacy for Reproductive Health" (TUV), a project that is being implemented in 12 communes in central and northern Cambodia in partnership with Management Sciences for Health (MSH), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Cambodian Government.

"Our goal is to advocate for youth services that are sustainable and environmentally friendly which are supported by health center staff and the community," said Ann Stickle, associate director for ADRA Cambodia.

Launched in January 2009, this two-year project is designed to empower Cambodian youth to fight exploitation and reduce their risk to these issues by building their leadership and advocacy skills and improving the quality and availability of reproductive health services in the community.

The Leadership Development Program provides training in youth advocacy, focusing on skills that boost self-confidence. Also offered are activities that identify and reduce threats to their own reproductive health.

"Through these activities, youth will receive the tools and social support they need to overcome the challenges they face on a daily basis," said Stickle.

By the end of the project in 2011, more than 54,000 people will benefit from this program, including 208 young people from the districts of Chomkar Leu and Steung Trong, and 52 government officials from the Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Women's Affairs (MOWA), and Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport (MOEYS).

ADRA's partnership with the Cambodian Ministry of Health will strengthen the promotion and utilization of youth-friendly reproductive health services through the various levels of government, ensuring that feedback gained from TUV's Youth Advocates is successfully integrated into the activities established by local Health Centers.

TUV has received funding totaling more than $358,000 from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), MSH, and ADRA International.

ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race, or ethnicity.

For more information about ADRA, visit www.adra.org.

Author: Nadia McGill